The Nautical Institute appeals for seafarer feedback over S-Mode

The Nautical Institute announced a consultation to help assess the latest proposals for standardised navigation equipment, calling navigators to provide feedback on the latest concept for S-Mode. The concept is for an ‘always on’ standardisation of key features to be adopted by the leading manufacturers of navigation systems.

The collaboration with industry stakeholders has taken years, however this new approach of standardisation should lead to more effective familiarisation for mariners and ultimately improve the safety of navigation…For many years and particularly with the increased complexity of ship systems, mariners have been challenged when sailing on different ships with different manufacturers’ equipment to become familiar with systems that are so safety critical.

The new proposal, by CIRM, focuses on:

a standard approach to hotkeys

the establishment of 'essential information blocks'

defining a list of functions that must be accessible by single or simple operator action.

The Institute noted that these proposals need urgent feedback from mariners at www.nautinst.org/knowledge before they become enshrined in IMO Guidance due to be finalised next year. The surveys will be closed on 1 June.